Canada’s Shapovalov retires from Japan Open quarterfinal vs. Alcaraz due to injury - Toronto Star

TennisThe Richmond Hill, Ont., lost by way of walkover to top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz after having to retire from their quarterfinal match due to injury on Sunday in Tokyo. Alcaraz to face fellow spaniard Jaume Munar in semifinalsThe Canadian Press · Posted: Oct 04, 2026 8:17 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 4Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, left, and Denis Shapovalov of Canada, right, embrace at the net after the their Men's singles quarterfinal match on day four of Kinoshita Group Japan Open at Ariake Tennis Park on Sunday in Tokyo. (Kenta Harada/Getty Images)Canada's Denis Shapovalov is out of the Japan Open. The Richmond Hill, Ont., lost by way of walkover to top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz after having to retire from their quarterfinal match due to injury on Sunday in Tokyo. Alcaraz was leading 7-6 (3), 2-1 when Shapovalov retired. Shapovalov converted on three of his four break-point chances by that point, while saving four of Alcaraz's seven opportunities.

It was an undeserved end to a tight encounter between Denis Shapovalov and Carlos Alcaraz in the Japan Open Tennis Championships quarter-finals on Sunday. Shapovalov had a few opportunities to clinch the opener but was broken when serving for the set at 5-3, then let a set point slip on return in the following game. The 27-year-old from Richmond Hill ultimately dropped the first in a tiebreaker before his push for a comeback was cut short as he was forced to retire at 7-6(3), 2-1 with an apparent hip injury. The Canadian No. 2 dealt with an ankle injury just two months ago that had him retire in his opening match at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal. Shapovalov held his nerve early in the opening set in Tokyo. The Richmond Hillian fought off a break point in the third and fifth game, both at 30-40, before the break frenzy began with Alcaraz serving at 2-3. There was just one service hold the rest of the way, which came when the Spaniard saved set point and extended the opener at 4-5. Alcaraz even had the chance to serve out the set in the 12th game but was broken at love as Shapovalov forced a tiebreaker.

The 20th annual Cape to Cabot road race is taking place tomorrow. The grueling 20 km trek sees participants running from one historic landmark to another: From Cape Spear to Cabot Tower on top of Signal Hill. The race starts at 8 a.m., and because of that there are a few related road closures in St. John’s. Between 7:45 and 11a.m. there will be numerous road closures along the route. A full list can be found online at VOCM dot com. Expect traffic impacts from 7:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. on routes including Blackhead Road, Southside Road, Water Street, Harbour Drive, Duckworth Street, Temperance Street and Signal Hill Road.

On Monday, Albertans vote on whether to stay in Canada or hold another binding referendum on quitting Canada. If the vote goes as polls suggest, a majority of Albertans will mark an X to stay in Confederation, and Premier Danielle Smith has said if that’s so, she expects everyone to accept it and move on. Leaders of the independence movement contest that. And political watchers are divided about whether separation — previously a fringe sentiment — will now be a prominent, permanent feature of Alberta’s political landscape, as in Quebec. Julian Castro-Rea, a political-science professor at the University of Alberta who studies the separation debates in Quebec and Alberta, believes as long as Alberta feels alienated from the Canadian capital — feeling that Ottawa benefits from Alberta’s resource economy without giving back — the movement will have fuel. “Even if the referendum is lost, the westernization will still be around, because it’s kind of a way which, traditionally, Albertans have related to the rest of Canada,” says Castro-Rea, who believes western alienation may remain indefinitely. Story continues below advertisement

It’s no secret the long-held Canadian consensus on immigration has fractured — pulled apart by a rapid increase in new arrivals post-pandemic and growing affordability challenges. Now, that fracture is starting to show up at the ballot box. The Parti Québécois won a minority mandate in Quebec on a platform that included promises of tighter immigration controls, which the party linked to protecting French culture and easing pressure on public services and housing. And when Albertans head to the polls Monday to vote on whether to hold a future referendum on separation from Canada, they’ll also be answering five separate questions on immigration being pushed by the government of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Those questions include:— Should the province should have more say over economic immigration?— Should provincially funded services should be restricted to citizens, permanent residents and those with “Alberta-approved” immigration status? Story continues below advertisement